Thursday, March 8, 2012

I've heard about it, I even used it once or twice, but it wasn't until a blogger explained it to me that I finally saw it's value. Yes, I'm talking about this growing service called, Pinterest. In this article, I would like to introduce you to Pinterest and explain why a content creator should even care about it.

What Is Pinterest?

Ok, let me start at the beginning. Pinterest, as described on their website, is a Virtual Pinboard. The web-based service provides a place to pin pictures and videos of your favorite things. Think of Pinterest as a virtual shoe box of images related to clothes, food, houses, cars, art, books, people, or places you like. In the image below, you can see tons of interesting things.

In addition to pinning pictures and video, you can create boards, which are specific categories where individual pictures are stored.

Lastly, you can also follow your friends, which helps populate your home screen (see above).

Why Content Creators Should Care About Pinterest

Even though I jumped on the service early, I didn't initially see the value. Yes, I can store pictures, but why waste my time? This is where you should pay attention...because it can help increase your pageviews.

While there are a number of ways to pin something, let's start with the Pin It button. You can add it as a browser bookmark or add a browser extension.

Step Two: Pin A Picture

Now that you have the tool, it's time to start pinning your favorite pictures. Simply visit a web site and click on the Pin It button. At this point, you should see the picture in a gallery similar to the one displayed below.

To proceed, click on the image you want to pin and click on the Pin This button. Select the Board you want the image to rest in, write up a 500 character (or less) description, and click Pin It. It's that easy!

As a contributing member of the Pinterest community, your role is to curate interesting material. However, as a content creator, your job is to also share some of the goodness from your own site, gallery, or archive. The more interesting the picture, the greater your chances of being seen and clicked on.

As a blogger, for example, this means placing colorful and relevant images in your blog posts. Personally, I get tons of traffic from Google because of the pictures I use. Why not do the same with Pinterest?

In addition to your efforts, other members of the community can Repin your items (and vice versa), which helps to further your pictures (and blog posts).

Tips For Getting Started

It's Not All About You - While Pinterest is a great way to market your own content, remember to actively engage with other people's work. When you're reading an article with an outstanding image, Pin It.

Follow Interesting People And Boards - Part of the fun is reviewing what other people pin. Don't do it alone, follow friends and other interesting people. If you don't want to follow everything a person pins, follow just a particular board of interest.

Give Love Often - Just like you, people enjoy a good compliment. If you see something you like, let them know. Start by giving them a Repin, Comment, Like, or Tweet.

So, what do you think? Let's discuss the value of Pinterest and how you use it in the comment section below.